Influence of Accelerating Admixtures on the Reactivity of Synthetic Aluminosilicate Glasses.

This research aims at gaining a further understanding of the impact of accelerating admixtures on the reactivity of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), which are widely used as a clinker replacement in blended cements. This was done on synthetic glasses with controlled composition and structure that mimic two types of real SCMs (slag and calcium-rich fly ash). The effects of DEIPA, TIPA, NaSCN and Na 2 S 2 O 3 on the glass dissolution, hydration kinetics and reaction products were investigated. The obtained results concluded that the pH of the NaOH solution and the composition of the synthetic glass play a key role on the effect of the admixtures. In 0.1 M NaOH (pH = 13.0), all the studied admixtures inhibited the dissolution of slag-like glasses while they enhanced the dissolution of Ca-rich fly ash-like glasses, being Na 2 S 2 O 3 the admixture that led to the highest increase of the dissolution rate of the Ca-rich fly ash-type glasses. In 1 M NaOH solutions (pH = 13.8), only the alkali admixtures (NaSCN and Na 2 S 2 O 3 ) enhanced the degree of reaction of both glasses. In slag-type glasses pastes mixed with 1 M NaOH, the addition of 2% Na 2 S 2 O 3 induced the highest increase of their reactivity as inferred by the total heat release and the amount of bound water. This is related to the formation of a high amount of S(II)-AFm, in addition to C-A-S-H, that would increase the aluminium undersaturation of the pore solution and consequently the further dissolution of the glass.